Browns free agency: John Dorsey not waiting for opening bell

Saturday

The last of three articles setting the stage for John Dorsey's second plunge into free agency, covering potential targets and the revised landscape in the wake of a big trade.

John Dorsey was just getting his hands dirty as an NFL personnel man when his team bagged a GOAT.

A quarter century has passed since free-agent Reggie White helped launch Dorsey's original team, the Packers, into glory days. At 58, Dorsey is an old hand in charge of bringing free agents who matter (or trading for them) to Cleveland. In the first move in what could become a 2019 shock wave, Dorsey agreed to send guard Kevin Zeitler to the Giants for pass rusher Olivier Vernon.

Across the last 10 roundups, the most conspicuous free agents signed by assorted Browns roster bosses have been:

- Running back Carlos Hyde in 2018 by Dorsey, who also traded for Jarvis Landry.

- Safety Usama Young in 2011 and linebacker Scott Fujita in 2010 by Tom Heckert.

- Linebackers David Bowens and Eric Barton in 2009 by the Eric Mangini-George Kokinis duo.

Some of them have been competent producers, but the overall splash factor wouldn't drench a Chihuahua.

Phil Savage was the expansion-era GM who rounded up the most big-dog free agents. He signed three-time Super Bowl starter Joe Andruzzi away from the Patriots in 2005, attracted proud veterans Willie McGinest, LeCharles Bentley and Joe Jurevicius in 2006, and followed up with "name" players Jamal Lewis and Eric Steinbach in 2007.

A disastrous outcome with Bentley notwithstanding, the moves led to a 10-6 season in '07. By 2008, when Savage's top free agent was wideout Donte Stallworth, he was out of money and, it turned out, time.

After a 2018 roster overhaul propelled the Browns to a late 5-1 hot streak, with a chance to take another giant step in his second full season as general manager, Dorsey seems the type to make noise in the free agency/trade markets that open simultaneously next Wednesday. It is the day the Zeitler-Vernon trade can become official.

Vernon addresses Dorsey's desire for pass-rush juice to go with Myles Garrett. Now he needs a linebacker after cutting Jamie Collins (also, Joe Schobert is in a contract year; Christian Kirksey has three years left on a $38 million contract Dorsey might not love).

Barr and Mosley have everyone's attention. Both were Round 1 draft picks in 2014 who have gone to four Pro Bowls. The others have assorted issues. Hicks, for example, has been nagged by injuries and had to sit out Super Bowl 52. Alexander went to a Pro Bowl in January of 2018 and blew out a knee in October.

But then, Dorsey is one to work through issues and make his own projections.

Free agency is swimming with safeties, starting with Earl Thomas, the player Heckert would have drafted in 2010 had he not taken Joe Haden.

It remains to be seen whether Dorsey and new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks see Tyrann Mathieu as a preferred option than what already is on the roster. At last year's combine, when he was head coach of the Cardinals, Wilks seemed to urge GM Steve Keim to retain "The Honey Badger."

“He can do so much,” Wilks said then. “He can cover. He can blitz. You look at things we’ve done in Carolina (Wilks' previous stop), and he fits right into that mold. I like his skill set."

Mathieu bolted to the Texans on a one-year deal. Keim fired Wilks after the season.

Free-agent safety Ha Ha Clinton Dix's stock has dropped, but it can be noted that Dorsey confidants Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith were part of Green Bay's personnel team in 2014 when the Packers drafted Clinton Dix at No. 21 overall. Wolf and Dorsey left for Cleveland last offseason and Clinton Dix was traded to Washington midway through the 2018 season.

There's no Reggie White this year, but you never know what Dorsey might have up his sleeve. White, a No. 4 overall draft pick in 1984, was 31 when he signed with the Packers in '93. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, a No. 2 overall pick in 2010 who recently turned 32, is available after helping the Rams reach Super Bowl 53.

If the Vernon deal goes through, the Browns might not need defensive lineman Trey Flowers, coming off a strong postseason for New England. Or, depending on how Wilks chooses to move people around, Flowers could add quite a flourish. Note what Bill Belichick said about the 25-year-old Flowers a few days before the Super Bowl:

“He works very hard to excel at his job, in knowing what to do, reading his keys and the fundamentals he’s exercised in a lot of different positions. He’s played everywhere from the nose to the nine-technique. He’s been a very key player for us, a very good player.”

Clay Matthews III, 33, would be an unlikely but intriguing and perhaps inexpensive addition. Matthews all but begged the Browns to draft him in 2009. Dorsey worked for the Packers when they drafted Matthews, who in his second season was in on 13.5 sacks. Fun fact: Garrett gave the 2018 Browns 13.5 sacks in his second season.

Dorsey has an eye on tight end following the release of Darren Fells, an older player who was acquired in free agency last year. Tyler Eifert could be a free agent to watch, although the 28-year-old former first-round pick played in only 14 games across his last three years with the Bengals.

Demetrius Harris, who joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2013 (Dorsey's first year as GM) bears watching. He has been stuck behind Travis Kelce in Kansas City, and Dorsey has his own eye for projecting breakout players. Harris combined for six catches in Chiefs wins over Oakland and Baltimore in December.

A free-agent wide receiver who bears watching is fast, 6-foot-4, Tyrell Wiiliams, 27, who gave the Chargers three catches for 118 yards in a win at Cleveland last October. A week later, Williams had a 118-yard game against the Titans.

Williams was a restricted free agent last year. He's available now with no strings attached. But then, so are a lot of players no one is talking about but might be on Dorsey's radar.

Reach Steve at 330-580-8347 or

steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP

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